These are some of the most commonly asked questions I get around working with me especially when it comes to virtual care
Are you OHIP Covered?
Some Lactation Consultants are able to be covered by OHIP because they are a part of a pediatrician’s office/clinic. IBCLCs themselves, cannot bill OHIP. I am not part of a pediatrician’s practice so my services, currently, are not covered by OHIP. This makes them an out of pocket expense. If you’re a federal employee in Canada, as of July 1st 2023, your health insurance provides $300 coverage for help from an IBCLC. You can access my services and pricing here.
How does a virtual appointment work?
Virtual lactation care takes place in the comfort of your own home over a privacy compliant two-way audio/visual platform. First, we talk about your health history including pregnancy, labour and birth and then we chat about your desires or wishes for feeding your baby.
Practicing virtual care has developed my counseling, teaching, and listening skills because I am completely dependent on your descriptions of your experience. It forces me to be hands off and so, I have developed thorough teaching skills. I work with you to support your feeding goals.
What should I expect during a consult?
We will go over your history relevant to your primary concern (latching, pumping, milk supply etc). We’ll go over your baby’s history as it relates to your concern. Ideally, I will also observe a feeding or pumping session from start to finish whether in person or virtual. After my assessment we will discuss your concern and I will provide you evidence based information and education to support your desires for feeding your baby. Within in 24 hours I will provide you a customized care plan via email, specific to helping you reach your goals. 1:1 consultations also include a week of email follow up support to continue helping you.
What if my baby doesn’t need to feed during the virtual appointment?
No problem! Babies are on their own schedules! The free privacy compliant messaging provider I use allows you to send as many photos and videos you need to either before and/or after our appointment.
What if I need your help a few days later?
All of my lactation consults include 1 week of email/text follow up support for this reason.
How do I book an appointment?
Head to “book now” under my services page and pick your time or fill in the request or you can email me directly at hello@motherhoodbloomslactation.com
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
If you provide a minimum of 24 hours and it’s for a full cancellation, I will refund you by your original method of payment. If you need to reschedule, the payment amount stays the same. There is no guarantee of how quickly you will be able to be rescheduled. You will get the next available appointment but it could mean it’s several days to a week away. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice, your appointment fee is returned, less 30%.
If you do not show up to your virtual appointment within in 10 minutes and have not otherwise communicated, the appointment will be cancelled.
In home support follows the same cancellation policies.